Holiday travel: These are the worst, best airports

The best airport for holiday travel is in Long Beach, California

Scores of people are planning to hit the skies this holiday season. 

AAA projected that air travel will see an increase of 14% this season with nearly 7.2 million Americans expected to fly.

Forbes Advisor cultivated a list of the worst and best airports for travel during this time of year. The data showed that while Westchester County Airport in New York was ranked the worst airport, Long Beach Airport in California was ranked the best. 

Here are the top five worst airports for holiday travel and some of the reasons why, according to Forbes Advisor, which analyzed federal transportation data for 100 of the busiest airports in the nation. 

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1. Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York

The airport was named the worst airport during the holiday season partly because it had the highest rate of delays and diverted flights among the 100 busiest airports analyzed

Christmas Tree in airport

A family passes a Christmas tree while checking their bags for a flight at Logan International Airport, Monday, Nov. 21, 2022, in Boston.  (AP Photo/Charles Krupa / AP Newsroom)

The data showed that the airport also had the third-highest percentage of late arrivals on average over a five-year period and the fourth-highest percentage of cancellations.

2. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska 

One of the reasons why the airport is on this list is because it ranked the highest for average airfare price between October and December. It also had the highest average dollar increase in airfare between the summer and the holiday season, according to Forbes.

3. McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee

The airport had the seventh-highest percentage of aircraft arriving late. It also had one of the highest airfare prices between October and December. 

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4. Bozeman Yellowstone International in Bozeman, Montana 

The data showed that the airport had the second-highest percentage of diverted flights, making it one of the worst airports for travel during the busy season, according to Forbes.  

5. The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa 

The airport also had high average airfare prices between October and December, which is just one of the reasons is ranked among the top five worst airports, according to Forbes. 

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Forbes also listed airports that have shown lower airfare costs, lower cancellation rates and a higher percentage of on-time arrivals even during the holiday season. 

Here are the five best airports for holiday travel, according to the data: 

1. Long Beach Airport in California

2. Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole in Kona, Hawaii 

3. Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport in San Jose, California 

4. Sacramento International Airport in Sacramento, California

5. Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California